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Two years of COVID-19: new report highlights the 100 weeks of WHO/Europe’s efforts to protect lives and livelihoods during the pandemic

Two years of COVID-19: new report highlights the 100 weeks of WHO/Europe’s efforts to protect lives and livelihoods during the pandemic

11 March 2022 is a grim milestone as we mark 2 years since WHO categorized the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic – a health emergency spanning countries and continents. Since cases of COVID-19 were first reported, more than 6 million people have died from the disease worldwide, with over 1.8 million of them in the…

Circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus confirmed in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory

Circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus confirmed in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory

On Monday, 7 March 2022, a case of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 3 (cVDPV3) was confirmed in an unvaccinated girl aged 3 years and 9 months in Israel. The girl had developed acute flaccid paralysis and, upon testing of her stool, poliovirus was confirmed.Further testing of the poliovirus isolated from the girl revealed genetic links…

Access to vaccination for refugees from Ukraine needed to protect the most vulnerable among them from vaccine-preventable diseases

Access to vaccination for refugees from Ukraine needed to protect the most vulnerable among them from vaccine-preventable diseases

Protecting the health of all, including refugees, is a priority concern for WHO as the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine continues to unfold. WHO is working with countries of the European Region to strengthen health system capacity to accommodate large numbers of refugees and ensure access to essential health services. Among many other health needs, refugees…

Putting health at the centre of post-COVID recovery: WHO European Region faces stark choices that will shape its future

Putting health at the centre of post-COVID recovery: WHO European Region faces stark choices that will shape its future

European Health Report 2021 highlights the way forwardCopenhagen, 10 March 2022Given the far-reaching impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in the WHO European Region, countries face daunting challenges in tackling health inequities and achieving the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. But a critical window of opportunity still exists if governments and health authorities take…

‘Running for their lives, without even a toothbrush’ – a community nurse at a refugee centre in Romania shares her experiences

‘Running for their lives, without even a toothbrush’ – a community nurse at a refugee centre in Romania shares her experiences

In the newly established refugee centre – a converted gymnasium in Darabani, Romania – Maria Răpciugă greets refugees as they arrive from Ukraine. These are people who have lost their homes and livelihoods and face an uncertain future and numerous risks to their health. Maria has put on hold her usual role as a community…

WHO releases new guidelines on safe abortion

WHO releases new guidelines on safe abortion

WHO has released new guidelines on abortion care in a bid to protect the health of women and girls and help prevent over 25 million unsafe abortions that currently occur each year around the world.Based on the latest scientific evidence, these consolidated guidelines bring together over 50 recommendations spanning clinical practice, health service delivery, and…

Food, medical attention, a safe haven: Poland responds to the Ukraine crisis with an emphasis on the physical and mental health of refugees

Food, medical attention, a safe haven: Poland responds to the Ukraine crisis with an emphasis on the physical and mental health of refugees

The central train station in Rzeszów has long been a busy transit point in south-eastern Poland, not far from the border with Ukraine. But in late February it took on a new role – a safe haven for Ukrainian refugees fleeing the escalating violence in their homeland, a place where they can receive free medical…